Sunday, January 10, 2021
Travel Day | Rough Canyon, TX to Big Bend National Park, Terlingua, TX
ODOMETER: 82,789 | TODAY’S MILES: 284 | MILES TRAVELED: 4,844
by Grant
It rained a little overnight, but the threat of continued rain seems to have dissipated.
We took the dogs on a nice long walk out on a peninsula on Lake Amistad and they frolicked off leash on the rare occasion we were in a contained situation where they could roam free. We returned to the RV and readied Thelma for the next leg of the trip.
We reached out to the folks at Roadrunner Travelers RV Park in Terlingua, TX to see if we could arrive early and they were very accommodating. It is a new RV park only 4.5 miles outside of the Big Bend National Park. There was no availability inside Big Bend’s precinct, so we opted for the closest park with availability.
Chris and Alison from Roadrunner have been incredibly helpful over the phone and we are excited to get to Terlingua and Big Bend.
We headed off from Lake Amistad mid morning. There is a lot of road work on the way which slowed our progress. The landscape continues to be incredibly barren and we’re troubled by how depressed the Texan country economy seems. There are a lot of drilling, fracking and distillation operations peppering the landscape, but everything seems to be at a low ebb.
We travelled through some small towns and stoped a couple of times for diesel. Given our consumption of diesel we hunt for good prices, but that’s not always easy. We use an app called GasBuddy which is really good in urban and suburban areas, but proving to be less adept at divining the best gas prices in the backwoods.
As we approached the outskirts of Big Bend National Park, we decided to get some drone footage of our journey into the mountains. Jack operated the drone as we drove toward the park. It’s a windy day and incredibly cold with sleet peppering the bus.
The severe cold had reduced the drone’s flight time and we lost contact with it. As Jack headed back to the drone’s home point, I ran back to the RV to get the Jeep. It is sleeting and everyone is stressed as the drone was a birthday present for Jack.
If anything happened to it, we would all feel really badly. Luckily he got to the drone before anything happened and I picked him up in the Jeep and we resumed our journey.
The day is lengthening, but we need to get diesel and propane before we really get off the grid. We stopped in Alpine, TX which is a decent sized rural town and fill up on diesel and head to the Tractor Supply for propane. This turns out to be quite an ordeal as their setup is less than ideal, but we rely on propane for heat so we have no option. We fill up and eventually get back on the road.
We boot on down 118 from Alpine, TX and the vistas are amazing. Ellie came up front with Jana and it was wonderful to see her amazement at the topographical relief we were presented with. We climbed and descended travelling steadily south. Eventually, we reached Terlingua and checked into the Roadrunner Travelers RV Park. Chris greeted us and helped us get set up.
The park is new and under development but it is well positioned, being less than 5 miles from Big Bend.
We boot on down 118 from Alpine, TX and the vistas are amazing. Ellie came up front with Jana and it was wonderful to see her amazement at the topographical relief we were presented with.
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Sailing Tahiti to Australia | Leg 4: Fiji to Brisbane Passage
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Sailing Tahiti to Australia | Leg 3: Bora Bora to Fiji Passage
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Sailing Tahiti to Australia | Leg 2: Mo’orea to Bora Bora
It took us about 24 hours to get from Mo’orea to Bora Bora on August 28 2021. Like the rest of French Polynesia, Bora Bora was in COVID lockdown, and we spent a week there waiting for our departure paperwork to go through all the requisite bureaucratic channels. This required multiple trips to the local gendarmerie (police station), where Grant quickly befriended the two kind and helpful officers, Alex and Bruno.
We made trips to get water, fuel and provisions, but apart from that we had to stay on the boat. We passed the time snorkeling (saw a giant moray eel!) and inventing new water sports.
Once we received our exit paperwork, we were finally free to leave for Fiji.
Reflections
Reflections
These are our personal thoughts on some of our experiences.
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Happy Aussie Father’s Day to @grantiangamble ♥️
Pottsville Beach, NSW, Australia.
Pottsville Beach, NSW, Australia.
Moreton Island, Queensland, Australia
Cape Moreton Lighthouse, Moreton Island, Queensland, Australia 🎥 @jack_gamble_shoots
We recently had the incredible opportunity to share our year-long family travel adventure on the @age.rebels Podcast with @sommerlouiseb @theixmethod . (Link in bio)
Manila, Philippines
Join us as we delve into @culture_nomads new book, “Culture Nomads: How Giving Up Everything for a Year of Travel Transformed Our Family and Our Lives.” We share the story of how embracing the unknown turned our lives upside down in the most extraordinary way.
In this podcast episode, we open up about our decision to break free from the mainstream and embark on a year-long family adventure around the globe, exploring diverse cultures, breathtaking landscapes, and discovering the true essence of the human spirit.
We share heartwarming tales of personal growth, unbreakable family bonds, and the invaluable lessons we learned along the way. From traveling the U.S. and Mexico on a bus for 8 months to our intrepid crossing of the South Pacific ocean on a 38-foot catamaran, our experiences will ignite your wanderlust and leave you yearning for your own transformative journey.
Join us on the Age Rebels Podcast as we discuss the joys and challenges of living life as Culture Nomads, and how this incredible odyssey has forever altered our perspectives on the world, our family, and ourselves.
If you’re passionate about travel, adventure, and the power of embracing different cultures, you won’t want to miss this episode. Get ready to be inspired, captivated, and motivated to embark on your own extraordinary journey of self-discovery and family connection.
Don’t forget to check out our book, “Culture Nomads: How Giving Up Everything for a Year of Travel Transformed Our Family and Our Lives,” available now on Amazon. (Link in bio). It’s your ultimate guide to crafting a life filled with adventure, love, and unforgettable memories.
#CultureNomads #AgeRebelsPodcast #FamilyAdventure #TravelTransforms #Wanderlust #travel #familytravel #travelbook #sailing #rv #podcast
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TRAVEL WITH US!
We are currently sailing the South Pacific to Australia.
Thank you for joining us, have a great day!